The best look at Chicago's legendary Twinight label that we've ever seen – a massive 2CD set that goes way past the obvious hits, and really digs into the heart and soul of this unique little record company! Twinight is best known as the home of Syl Johnson during his legendary run of funky soul singles at the end of the 60s – but the company was also home to a lot of other great talent during the same stretch – harmony vocal groups, sweet soul singers, funky combos, and more – all of which you'll hear in this incredible little set! (And in fact, the set does such a great job of presenting the other artists on Twinight, that it leaves out Syl Johnson entirely – so the package is a 100% non-Syl set – which is ok with us, because you can always get Johnson's work on other reissues.) The Numero Group have really outdone themselves this time around – using their careful ear to pull out the best lost bits from Twinight, remastered here with wonderful sound – and a brilliant 32 page booklet that tells the story of the label, and also includes loads of vintage photos. The set's a must-have for any fan of quality funk or soul – and the package includes a whopping 40 titles that include "Goin Man Huntin" by Jo Ann Garrett, "I've Made Up My Mind" by Josephine Taylor, "A New Day" by The Notations, "Nevermore" by Renaldo Domino, "Yesterday's Mistakes" by Jimmy Jones, "I'll Always Love You" by Velma Perkins, "Life Walked Out" by Mist, "Put Out The Fire by Mystiques, "You & Me Baby" by Kaldirons, "Rosemarie" by Dynamic Tints, "Remind Me" by Schiller Street Gang, "Is It Meant To Be" by Krystal Generation, "Pardon My Innocent Heart" by Nate Evans, "Package Of Love (part 1)" by Dynamic Tints, "The Devastator" by Stormy, "Mama" by Annette Poindexter, "Pass It On (part 1)" by Pipes Of Peace, "My Sunshine Girl" by Radiants, "Let Me Come Within" by Renaldo Domino, "Soul Strokes" by Sidney Pinchback, and "Can You Find Me Love" by Harrison & The Majestic Kind. CD

A hip little collection, and one that's got a lot more to offer than some of the overplayed hits on other girl group compilations – and the music here really digs deep, and effortlessly blends together soul tracks and rock singles from the 60s – including a few that were never even issued at the time! The Ace Records label has been giving us great reissues from female singers for decades – and during that time, they've perfected their approach and intensified their research – so that the results of a collection like this are completely sublime! The set's overflowing with gems – and features 14 titles that include "You Had A Good Thing Goin" by The Blossoms, "Little Boy" by Karen Verros, "Your Kind Ain't No Good" by The Mirettes, "I Only Cry Once A Day Now" by The Puffs, "Baby I'm So Glad It's Raining" by The Satisfactions, "Do It" by Pat Powdrill, "Let Him Walk Away" by Darlene Love, "Bad Apple" by Linda & The Vistas, "I Know About Her" by The DC Blossoms, and "West Side Party" by The Pets. LP, Vinyl record album

The grittier side of the UK scene in the mid 60s – a whole host of work by groups who were strongly influenced by American soul, blues, and R&B – but were also really starting to put together sounds that were very much their own! The Rolling Stones were obviously the biggest stars of this moment – but this set digs much deeper, and brings out a fair bit of work that never made it over to our side of the Atlantic – mixed with very early cuts from artists that you might know from much bigger records later on! And while there's definitely a soulful current running through the music, most of these acts are more rock than anything else – although a few important acts also bring in some nice elements of jazz too. The 3CD set has a massive 91 tracks in all – all with great notes inside – and as you might guess from the title reference, The Yardbirds are included in the lineup – next to others who include The Talismen, Shades Of Blue, Mike Cotton Sound, Fuzz, The Iveys, The Hoochie Coochie Men, Original Four-Tunes, Nashville Teens, The Bad Boys, Stylos, Zombies, Art Wood Combo, Remo Four, Toggery Five, The Plebs, Screaming Lord Sutch, Soul Agents, Saxons, The Kinks, Mickey Finn & The Blue Men, Group 5, Shel Naylor, Cops N Robbers, and dozens of others! CD

The new jazz here is old – killer funky nuggets from the best years of the Prestige/Fantasy family of record labels! The music moves between 60s soul jazz, 70s jazz funk, and even a bit of hip soul as well – in a smoking set list that really digs up the gems! Titles include "Nairod" by the JFK Quintet, "One Hand" by Maynard Parker, "Our Generation" by Ernie Hines, "Favela (Somewhere In The Hills)" by Papaya, "Sad Song" by Joe Williams, "Mucho Chupar" and "Everything Counts" by David Axelrod, "It's About Time" by Terry Callier, "Death & Taxes" by Walt Dickerson, "Song For Pharoah" by Ronnie Cuber, "Memphis BK" by Little Sonny, and "Higgins Holler" by Cedar Walton. CD

A fantastic collection of lesser-known gems from the 70s scene in Nigeria – music that's a great counterpart to better-remembered Afro Funk and soul from international giants like Fela Kuti and King Sunny Ade! This set digs deep, and is a nicelly expanded version of a set that Soul Jazz issued years back as a limited edition 7" single box for Record Store Day – presented here with more music, and a detailed set of notes – really getting at the special scene that was taking place in Nigeria at the time, as the nation was rising to the top of the African scene with a fantastic criss-crossing of musical modes! There's definitely plenty of the funk promised in the title, and the "rock" is usually of the funky kind with great guitar work – and a few later cuts even pick up the pace with a bit of disco, but more in the fast-funk mode, and hardly the slick stuff of the American scene. Titles include "Africans Must Unite" and "Shake Hands" by Geraldo Pino, "We'll Get Home" by The Wings, "E Ye Ika Se" by Alhagi Prof Kollington Ayinala, "Kassa Kpa Sama Kpa" by Colomach, "Beware" by MFB, "You Are The One" by Tony Grey & The Ozimba Messengers, "Single Boy" by The Wings, "Sugar Baby" by Don Bruce & The Angels", "Power To The People" by Geraldo Pino, "Igba Alusi" by Original Wings, "Dance Of The Elephants" by Sonny Okosunds Ozziddi, and "Oba Erediauwa I" by Sonny Okosuns. CD

A fantastic collection of rare tracks from the key 60s years of Jamaican music – tunes from the time when the nation's independence had really set fire to its creative processes – as you'll hear on the smoking set of well-chosen cuts within! This isn't your usual ska collection of overplayed hits – and instead, the whole thing really digs deep, the way we always expect from the Pressure Sounds label – with a great ear for obscurities that also offers up alternate takes of a number of these tunes – which is key, given how much jazz-based expression there is on the instrumental numbers that really make up most of the collection! The package is very heavy on work from the great saxophonist Roland Alphonso – who contributes cuts that include "VC 10", "El Cid", "Tough Talk", "Determination", "Live Desire", and "Step Down" – next to other tracks that include "Red Is Danger" by Johnny Moore, "Love In The Afternoon" by Don Drummond, "Live Wire" by The Skatalites, "Warlock" by Jackie Mittoo, and "Ska Ta Shot" by Lynn Taitt. LP, Vinyl record album

Not "retro soul" in the manner of contemporary artists faking the good stuff – but actual soul gems from back in the day, served up by the folks at Ace Records, who've always given us the best of the best with their reissues and compilations! The package digs deep, and goes way past the hits – not overplayed soul oldies on the bigger labels, but instead some rare gems from the farther reaches of the funky 45 underground, mixed with a few cuts that were locked in the vaults and never saw the light of day until many years later! Titles include "See Saw Affair" by Cesar, "It Hurts So Good" by Millie Jackson, "I'll See You In Hell First" by Phillip Mitchell, "Now Is The Time For Love (part 1)" by Darrow Fletcher, "Midnight Affair" by George Soule, "Three Lonely Guys" by Brilliant Korners, "Lightin Up"b y Ty Karim, "Spells & Incantations" by Debbie Lindsay, "I Can Fly" by The Magnificents, and "When I Had You Baby" by The Soul Sensations. LP, Vinyl record album

A really cool record, and one that digs deep into the earliest days of the disco scene – that time in New York where there weren't any records being made as strictly "disco" cuts – and DJs had to make their pick of soul and funk records from a time when the music was really changing things up! The album's heavy on New York and Philly-based tracks, and some of the artists here are ones who'd had an earlier life in soul music, but were picking up the rhythms, adding in some larger arrangements, and creating grooves that really knocked the whole thing out of the park! The presentation here is based on a famous 1975 article that looked at the underground scene out in Brooklyn for New York magazine – later made famous as Saturday Night Fever – and as such, the tracks here are full of surprises, and very different than the usual disco-inspired compilation. Titles include "Just As Long As We're Together (single version)" by Gloria Scott, "After You've Had Your Fling" by The Intrepids, "Welcome To The Club" by Blue Magic, "Mellow Me" by Faith Hope & Charity, "Got To Get You Back" by Sons Of Robin Stone, "Date With The Rain (LP version)" by Eddie Kendricks, "Georgia's After Hours" by Richard Popcorn Wylie, "If That's The Way You Feel" by White Heat, "It's The Same Old Story" by Act 1, "Tell Me What You Want" by Jimmy Ruffin, "Night Of The Wolf" by Ivano Fossati, "The Whole Damn World Is Going Crazy" by John Gary Williams, "You Can't Hide Love" by Creative Source, "Wendy Is Gone" by Ronnie McNeir, "Free & Easy" by Satyr, and "Keep It Up" by Betty Everett. CD

A really cool record, and one that digs deep into the earliest days of the disco scene – that time in New York where there weren't any records being made as strictly "disco" cuts – and DJs had to make their pick of soul and funk records from a time when the music was really changing things up! The album's heavy on New York and Philly-based tracks, and some of the artists here are ones who'd had an earlier life in soul music, but were picking up the rhythms, adding in some larger arrangements, and creating grooves that really knocked the whole thing out of the park! The presentation here is based on a famous 1975 article that looked at the underground scene out in Brooklyn for New York magazine – later made famous as Saturday Night Fever – and as such, the tracks here are full of surprises, and very different than the usual disco-inspired compilation. Titles include "Just As Long As We're Together (single version)" by Gloria Scott, "After You've Had Your Fling" by The Intrepids, "Welcome To The Club" by Blue Magic, "Mellow Me" by Faith Hope & Charity, "Got To Get You Back" by Sons Of Robin Stone, "Date With The Rain (LP version)" by Eddie Kendricks, "Georgia's After Hours" by Richard Popcorn Wylie, "If That's The Way You Feel" by White Heat, "It's The Same Old Story" by Act 1, "Tell Me What You Want" by Jimmy Ruffin, "Night Of The Wolf" by Ivano Fossati, "The Whole Damn World Is Going Crazy" by John Gary Williams, "You Can't Hide Love" by Creative Source, "Wendy Is Gone" by Ronnie McNeir, "Free & Easy" by Satyr, and "Keep It Up" by Betty Everett. LP, Vinyl record album

Sunshine Pop is a style that's usually associated with the American west coast scene of the 60s – music that sprung up in the wake of The Beach Boys and some of the other upbeat, harmony-heavy groups of the time – yet as you'll see in this set, there was also plenty of sunshine pop coming from the UK too – some by older artists influenced by musical changes, some by very cool English groups, and some by artists who were really taking the sound and spirit in their own direction! The box tracks a great stretch in the UK scene when things were sweet and well-produced, with a really great focus on well-crafted vocals amidst lovely arrangements – never too slick or sleepy in a soft rock way – and often presented with some unique British twists that make the tunes a great change from Sunshine Pop in the US! We love it when the Grapefruit label digs into a genre we never would have explored this deeply – and the 3CD package is a wonder throughout – with 87 tracks in all, alongside a big booklet of notes – presented by a huge array of artists who include Butterscotch, Dawn Chorus, The Mirage, Design, The Zombies, Paul Ryan, Roger Webb Sound, Agincourt, The Flies, Jason Cord, Symbols, Pinkerton's Colours, Tony Rivers & The Castaways, West Coast Consortium, The Seekers, Wilson Malone Voiceband, Orange Bicycle, Ken Smart, Harmony Grass, Episode Six, and many many others! CD

A wonderfully wicked album – one that sold so many copies that it's sometimes hard to remember how great it is! George takes on all of Abbey Road – or just about all of it – as he runs through some of the most beautiful tracks The Beatles ever wrote, like "Golden Slumbers", "I Want You (She's So Heavy)", "The End", "Because", and "You Never Give Me Your Money". The whole thing's set to some great baroque jazzy arrangements by Don Sebesky, and George digs the whole thing so much that he even sings a bit – vocalizing in a cool chromatic way that really works well with his guitar playing, and which would soon transform into a very popular style on his records of the 70s. Keyboards are by Bob James and Herbie Hancock – and there's plenty of other great jazz players in the mix! LP, Vinyl record album

Very cool album recorded by Luiz Bonfa in the US, with cool electric arrangements by Deodato, and a sound that's unlike anything else he's ever done! Some tracks even get downright funky, and there's a nice break or two on here, if you're the type that digs for that sort of thing. Titles include "Apache Talk", "Sun Flower", "Jacaranda", "Strange Message", and "Danse V". Idris Muhammad's on drums, too! LP, Vinyl record album

A huge book on the equally-huge creative legacy of bassist William Parker – a musician who first arose in the loft jazz scene in New York during the 70s, but who's gone on to be one of its greatest surviving players, and one who's transformed the inspirations of that world into so many different modes of expression over the decades! Author Cisco Bradley really digs deep – following Parker from his southern roots to his childhood in the South Bronx, to his strong contributions to avant scenes, first in New York, then around the globe – all with a sensitivity to community and context that shows that Parker isn't just some genius musician, but both an evolving participant in creative activity, and one whose contributions have transformed the landscape as well! The book is softcover, 402 pages, and has copious notes, a discography, and even some black and white images as well. Book

Amazing early work from David Crosby, Stephen Stills, Graham Nash, and Neil Young – a live performance recorded just a month after their famous appearance on the stage at Woodstock – and one that captures the group as they're working through new ideas that would emerge more fully on their classic album Deja Vu! There's definitely a "liveness" to this set, and we mean that in the best way possible – very spontaneous, honest interplay between the members of the quartet, as they work through both their trio material and some of Young's tunes too – presenting the whole thing in two different modes, so that the first half is all acoustic, and the second brings some electricity to the mix. Essential listening for anyone who even remotely digs the group – and titles include "On The Way Home", "Our House", "Sea Of Madness", "Long Time Gone", "Wooden Ships", "Find The Cost Of Freedom", "Down By The River", "Helplessly Hoping", "Suite Judy Blue Eyes", "Blackbird", "Lady Of The Island", and "I've Loved Her So Long". CD

The complete Riverside recordings! Complete! That's 12 CDs worth of Bill Evans, documenting some of the finest performances he ever recorded. As you'd expect, there's quite a lot of trio sides presented here, including the great group featuring Scott LaFaro and Paul Motian, but there's also a few early excursions into the solo setting he'd return to again and again as well as a few sessions featuring horns. The list of sidemen is filled with heavies from Paul Chambers, Teddy Kotick, Philly Joe Jones and Cannonball Adderley to Freddie Hubbard, Jim Hall, Zoot Sims and Ron Carter. If you know any of the Riverside recordings, you know this is where Evans established himself as one of the leading pianists of his age, and laid the blueprint for a much imitated style. This set features the entirety of loads of great LPs, like New Jazz Conceptions, Everybody Digs Bill Evans, Waltz For Debby, Portrait In Jazz, Sunday At The Village Vanguard and more! CD

One of our favorite Red Garland albums of the late 50s – thanks to a slightly different rhythm section that features Sam Jones on bass and Art Taylor on drums – both of whom work beautifully with Red in a gutbuckety set of tunes! The style isn't exactly soul jazz, but it's clear that Garland's feeling a bit of pressure from some of the up and comers on the scene – and he digs a bit deeper into bluesy roots here, in a setting that makes especially nice use of Jones' work on bass. Titles include "He's A Real Gone Guy", "See See Rider", "Trouble In Mind", "St. Louis Blues", and "Theme From M Squad". CD

Tracks include "Typical American", "Whatcha Got Is Whatcha Gettin", "Ru Down Wit Da Goats", "Cumin In Ya Ear", "Burn The Flag", "Hip Hopola", "Do The Digs Dug", and "TV Cops". CD

The near complete studio recordings done by Dexter Gordon as a leader for Savoy in the mid 40s – key 78rpm recordings that helped redefine the sound of the tenor in jazz! The material here is all strongly boppish – and presented with alternate takes on a number of the sessions, making for a whopping 23 tracks that cover most of Dexter's master takes and a good number of unissued alternates! First up are 4 tracks with a 1945 quartet that includes Sadik Hakim on piano – followed by 8 more from a 1946 session with Bud Powell on piano, Max Roach on drums, and Leonard Hawkins on trumpet. These are followed by 3 great tracks from Gordon's 1947 session with Leo Parker on baritone and Tadd Dameron on piano – which roll into the last 8 tracks, all from a 1947 session that includes Fats Navarro on trumpet and Dameron again on piano. Titles include "So Easy", "Dexter's Riff", "Dexter's Deck", "Blow Mr Dexter", "Dexter's Minor Mad", "Dexter Digs In", "Dexter Rides Again", "Long Tall Dexter", and "Index". CD

Maybe the coolest book ever from dancefloor historian Tim Lawrence – the man who's given us definitive works on disco and dance music – now turning his sharp eye on some key years of the New York scene! The book looks at a very special time in the city's underground – a post-Studio 54 moment when the door was wide open to new sounds, new ideas, and new cultures – a point where punk met hip hop, funk met avant jazz, art met pop – and things were never the same again! Lawrence digs deeper here than ever before – isolating key figures, both familiar and obscure – and tracing lines in ways that might be surprising, even to anyone who lived through this incredible scene. The book is super-heavy – almost 600 pages, the last 100 pages of which are notes, index, and other incredible information – and as always with Lawrence, the book's a very lively read from start to finish! 577 pages, softcover, with some black and white images Book

Two Shirley Scott classics – back to back on a single CD! First up is Travelin Light. Kenny Burrell joins the trio of organist Shirley Scott for this sweet little album – a set that seems to burn a bit more than usual for Shirley, probably because of the cool-toned guitar lines from Kenny! The album's got the same laid back feel as other Scott albums of the time, but Burrell really digs in during his solos – adding a bit more bite, and inspiring Shirley to do the same on her own Hammond lines. Bass is by Eddie Khan and drums are by Otis Finch – and titles include "Solar", "The Kerry Dance", "They Call It Stormy Monday", "Nice N Easy", and "Baby It's Cold Outside". Next up is Soul Sister – a record that has Shirley Scott getting some mighty cool help from vibist Lem Winchester – a player whose tones always make a session worth checking out! Lem's got a nicely punctuated feel to his vibes on the record – a tight, short punch that works beautifully alongside Scott's fluid Hammond lines – almost enough on their own, even without the rhythm help of George Duvivier on bass and Art Edgehill on drums. Tracks include "Blues For Tyrone", "The More I See You", "On Green Dolphin Street", "Like Young", and "Sonnymoon For Two". Also includes the bonus track "Now's The Time", recorded at the same session. CD

One of the deepest digs into the 60s girl group scene we've ever seen – a package that not only gets way way past the big hits of the time, but also provides much better sound and way more context than the sorts of dodgy CDr collections that have spotted the market for years! It's great to see Numero's magic touch turned onto this sort of world – as the songs here are all super-obscure, and served up from a wealth of rare 7" singles – but come together wonderfully in a beautiful mix of soul and rock, all showing just how many great girl group sounds were recorded back in the day! Many of these numbers are plenty darn catchy – and rival the best coming from Motown or the Brill Building scene – but also have the great distinction of being completely fresh, and backed up with the usual great Numero sense of history in the package – which includes copious notes and loads of great rare images. 2LP set features 28 tracks in all – and includes work by The Contessas, The Shades, Monzaz, Paulette & The Cupids, Toni & the Hearts, Charles Pikes & The Scholars, and lots more acts you've never heard before! LP, Vinyl record album

If you think Vee Jay and Chess Records were the sole gatekeepers to Chicago blues in the 50s, then think again – because the city was filled with loads of great tiny labels turning out excellent work – such as the trio of imprints featured in this collection! Ace digs really deep this time around – and finally brings proper presentation to this rich material from the Bandera, Laredo, and Jerico Road labels – in a mix of blues and gospel recordings that definitely make the Windy City scene come alive again! The collection's probably two thirds blues, and one third gospel – both, like Chess or Vee Jay, recorded in a similar way – with similar studio elements – and titles include "Do You Love Me" and "Will You Forgive Me Baby" by Dusty Brown, "Mean Train" by Grover Pruitt, "All My Life" and "Chicago Jump" by Jimmy Lee Robinson, "She's A Problem" and "One Love Have I" by Bobby Davis, "Two Wings" by Elder Samuel Patterson, "Let God Abide" by The Faithful Wanderers, "Let Jesus Fix It" by The Space Spiritual Singers, and "Standing On The Highway" by The Norfleet Brothers. CD

The coolest collection of modern funk we've ever seen – and one that goes way beyond the familiar names of the genre that sometimes show up too much on other compilations! This one really digs deep – and the tunes are often as rough and raw as the music of the 60s and 70s that inspired them – a true treasure trove of work from the contemporary deep funk underground, but mostly music that's not been in wide circulation around the globe. We've always trusted Tramp for their funky 45s – but we love them even more for making a record like this – really blowing our minds with a range of hard-hitting tracks that show us we still have plenty to learn about what's going on out there in the funky hinterland. Titles include "Izzy Come Izzy Go" by The Funk Revolution, "One Man Song" by The Qualitons, "Go Go Train" by Big Joe Louis & The Soul Igs, "Chicken Lickin" by The Fantastics, "Fallin In Debt" by DeRobert & The Half-Truths, "Stop The Madness" by Tynnes Well & The Magic Fountains, "Humpin" by The Unstoppable S Robinson & His Marvelaires, "Brasil No 7" by Ben Martin Trio, "Soul Pop" by Mauri Bailey, and "Hakusha" by The Neapolitans. LP, Vinyl record album

Way more than just the electronic funk you might know from the chart-topping groups of the 80s – as this sweet little set digs way deeper, and comes up with some rare mixes and single versions too! The set list is superb – and almost stands as a reintroduction to the genre – as the groups are ones you'll definitely know, but represented by some more obscure cuts – a wonderfully well-chosen set list that really matches the longer length of the package! Titles include "Show Me" by Glenn Jones, "It's Your Turn (extended)" by Delegation, "Searching For The Lady" by New Horizons, "Coast To Coast" by Plush, "You Wouldn't Have To Work At All" by Michael Henderson, "Programmed For Love (12" ext)" by Roy Ayers, "B Boys (12" mix)" by Nona Hendryx, "Are You With Me" by Isley Brothers, "Cover Girl (12" version)" by Johnny Kemp, "Singlehanded (ext)" by Haywoode, "Crimes Of Passion" by Oattes Van Schaik, "Who's Getting It Now (12" version)" by Chocolate Milk, "Thinking Of You (European edit)" by Earth Wind & Fire, "Beat Wise" by Herbie Hancock, "Step By Step (ext rmx)" by Jeff Lorber, "Dial My Number (ext dance)" by Pauli Carman, "Happy (ext version)" by Surface, "Your Spell" by Bobby Glover, "Heaven Sent You (12" mix)" by Stanley Clarke, and "Release The Beast" by Breakwater. CD

Not 100 years of recorded dub music, but a set of work that's bound to be as crucial in the 2070s as it was when first recorded back in the 1970s! The package is a stunning tribute to the talents of Joe Gibbs in the world of dub – and it not only brings together key cuts, but also features 30 number of the 48 in the package that appear here on CD for the first time ever – a great illustration of the way the Doctor Bird label digs even deeper than most other reggae reissue imprints, to come up with essential material like this! The 2CD package is overflowing with gems we've never heard before, all as wickedly sharp as Joe's bigger tracks – and not only is the sound quality great, but the whole thing comes with very detailed notes on the music too. 48 tracks in all – with titles that include "Roots Kunta Kinte", "Memory By The Score Version", "Keep On Dubbing", "War Is Over", "Bubbler In Money", "The Winner", "Broom Stick", "Black September Version", "Informer Version", "I Need Dub", "Bwoy It Rough", "No Bones For The Dogs", and lots lots more! CD

We've loved the work of Timo Lassy and Jukka Eskola for many years – right back to when we first heard them in the Five Corners Quintet – and here, the players are reunited in a set that was recorded in New Orleans, and digs deep into that city's musical roots! Make no mistake, this isn't some hokey attempt to recreate a Nola sound – but just overseas musicians using the scene to really find new inspiration – as the tenor of Timo and trumpet of Jukka are matched with work from Delfeayo Marsalis on trombone, David Torkanowsky on keyboards, Roland Guerin on bass, and Herlin Riley on drums. A few tracks add in additional brass – and titles include "Cross Atlantic Connection", "At Leroys", "King Cake", "Duke Of Bayou", "Long Walk", and "Sweet Holler". LP, Vinyl record album

Cheekily-titled, totally invigoring live material from Japan's great avant jazz sax player Akira Sakata, never-predictable soundscape crafter Jim O'Rourke (on guitar, harmonica and electronics here) and the Chikamorachi duo of drummer Chris Corsano and bassist & percussionist Darin Gray – recorded during a 2008 tour of Japan! Disc One features 2 nearly half hour long pieces titled for the city being visited: "Kyoto" and "Hanamaki". Sakata's sax is a thing of grace and beauty in solo moments, and he digs in with the tense, noisy dynamic of the more heated passages with O'Rourke, Corsano and Gray in real heated way. Disc Two features "Nagoya 1" (a 22 minute tumult), "Nagoya 2" (slow-building with an intense Sakata solo) and "Nagoya 3" (another ascending, increasingly dynamic effort that runs north of 15 minutes). CD

A dream of a set from the folks at Numero Group – a special package that digs through all their many collections and archive projects, and comes up with some of the funkiest cuts in the bunch! Unlike some of their other compilations, this one focuses on the groove first – and the groove is nice and funky, hard and gritty, and feels like you're sitting next to the turntable, playing a stack of rare funk 45s, one after the other! Titles include "Function Underground" by We The People, "Jungle" by Young Senators, "Let Me Come Within" by Renaldo Domino, "Iron Leg" by Mickey & The Soul Generation, "Get It Right" by Soul President, "First Thing I Do In The Morning" by Joyce Williams, "Party Time" by Black Soul Express, "Money Won't Save You" by Boscoe, "Everything's Gonna Be Alright" by Robert Moore, "You Made Me Suffer" by Andrew Brown, and "Watch The Dog That Bring The Bone" by Sandy Gaye. CD

A European disco world that's ripe for rediscovery – one that's much more obscure than better-known club work from Germany, France, and Italy – but which may well be even groovier than the work from those three scenes! The package is a great complement to some of the funk and jazz sets on the Sdban label – and like those, it really digs deep – to uncover a vast array of music from the small nation – which was clearly a hotbed of groovy activity in the 70s, at a level that none of us realized at the time! The tunes here mix together funk and pop, soul and disco – all in ways that criss-cross strongly with more familiar modes of the period – but often have an offbeat quality, and sometimes a surprising sense of humor that comes through in the mostly English lyrics in the lead. 2CD set features 30 tracks – and titles include "Ethereo Disco" by R Roland, "King Kong" by Carl Watson, "Baby Won't You Turn Me On" by Charles Watson, "Sexy" by Lovedream, "La Gomme" by L2, "Cool & Get Up" by Quartz, "I'm Free" by Steve, "Groovin To The Music" by Flame, "Queen To The Pharoah" by Marianne, "Feel So Glad" by Dan Davis, "Ivro De Vie" by Kevin Moraine, "Be My Love Tonight" by CC Band, "Strange How You Move" by Venus, and "Bubblegum" by Bubble. CD

That's a mod logo on the cover, but the set's an all-soul package all the way through – served up by the great Eddie Piller, who's brought us plenty of soul music over the years through his work at Acid Jazz Records! The package is great – a 7" square slipcover, which contains a beautiful booklet of notes alongside the 100 well-chosen cuts within – music that digs deep into the realm of raw soul and quick-stepping grooves that really set the London scene on fire in the 60s! There's a great mix of lesser-known gems here next to bigger hits – and the package includes work by The Soul Sisters, Garnet Mimms, Little Hank, Jerry Jackson, Darrell Banks, Irma Thomas, Mary Love, The Larks, The Sapphires, Solomon Burke, Little Milton, The Sharpees, Mitty Collier, Deon Jackson, and dozens of others! CD

They liked things raw in Texas in the 60s – a place where garage bands often worked heavily in fuzz and freak, so much so that they often had a psychedelic current in their music! This set really lives up to that legacy, and also digs deeper than most to a source of tracks that's completely rare – the tiny Sea Ell label, which is presented here in a host of shortly-circulated singles, plus rare demo material too! CD1 features 22 tracks that comprise all the singles on the label – we think with a and b-sides for most – on work by The Coachmen, Knights Bridge, The Intruders, George Washington & The Cherry Stompers, Derby Hatville, Satyn's Children, and The Wolves. CD2 features demo material – five 1967 demos by the Smokin Bananas, plus 15 more 1966 demos by The Intruders. CD

All the coffee-themed cuts you could ever want in a single compilation – a package that's a great reminder that when the Bear Family takes on a topic, they do a way better job than just about anyone else! This isn't one of those simple Starbucks-themed collections from years ago – and instead, the set digs deep into the grooviest work from the postwar years – pulling together cuts from jazz, blues, country, and rock and roll – all with themes that keep the coffee pot percolating all the way through! The presentation is as lively as the image on the cover – and titles include "Coffee Date" by Dick Michaels, "Percolator" by Randy Randolph, "Lonesome Cup Of Coffee" by Abbey Lincoln, "Forty Cups Of Coffee" by Les Brown & Jo Anne Greer, "Moliendo Cafe" by Hugo Blanco, "Keep That Coffee Hot" by Ray Ellington Quartet, "Coffee Sippin Blues" by Billy Brigs, "Coffee Bar Calypso" by Maxine Daniels, "Coffee Date" by Ella Mae Morse, and "I Can't Afford The Coffee" by Merle Travis. CD

The first entry in a really superb collection from Ace Records – a set that digs deep into the Modern Records catalog to come up with the kind of sublime postwar tracks that made the LA scene so great! The music here is a sophisticated blend of blues roots, jazz, and R&B styles – all served up at a level that's far from any of the cliches of the period, and from some of the overdone hits of the time – served up at a level that shows that there's a huge amount of greatness from that scene, if you just know where to dig! There's plenty of early bop touches creeping into the music from the Central Avenue scene – and the sharpness of the work really illustrates the huge amount of changes taking place on the west coast in the first few years after the war. 14 of the CD's 24 tracks are previously unissued – which makes the experience of discovery even greater – and titles include "Boogie Rebob" by Bardu Ali, "They Raided The Joint" by The Peter Rabbit Trio, "I Got News For You" by Butch Stone, "Shadrack" by Three Bits Of Rhythm, "Exactly Like You" by Scatman, "Hey Hey Baby" by Helen Humes, "Mello Kats" by Little Willie Littlefield, "Walkin Boogie" by Bubber Cyphers, "What's The Use Baby" by Tiny Webb, and "Rock N Roll" by Wild Bill Moore. CD

The Teensville label always digs deep – way deeper than the oft-collected oldies and pop hits of the 60s – yet this time around, they might well be digging the deepest – as they're serving up a whole host of work from a wealth of unreleased acetates – including a number of titles whose singers can't be identified at all! Most of these tracks come from acetates that were recorded as songwriting demos – full recordings with arrangements and instrumentation – but circulated on a very small scale to publicize the songs that were written, so that other artists might be able to pick them up. Yet given that these tunes are all coming from some of the best songwriters of the period, most with strong Brill Building ties – at least those who could be identified – you can bet that the tunes within are pretty darn great. There's a whopping 34 tracks in all, and notes that speculate on some of the singers, and identify a number of others – a lineup that includes Ron Dante, Ellie Greenwich, Kenny Chandler, Van McCoy, Buzz Clifford, Ritchie Adams, The Demilles, and Mikie Harris. CD

Massive! By now, the 2 volumes in Soul Jazz's Nu Yorica series are among some of the most legendary Latin titles we've ever stocked – and this incredible "prequel" to the series is every bit as essential! As the title indicates, the compilation digs back into the early days of the New York crossover Latin scene – taking some of the best examples of mambo, descarga, Latin Soul, and Latin Jazz tracks from the old days! The set list is impeccable, and the compilation's one of the best we can recommend for someone who's looking for a sample of classic Latin grooves. The liner notes are great, and tracks include "Tito On Timbales" by Tito Puente, "Together" by Ray Barretto, "The Word" by Harvey Averne, "El Pito" by Joe Cuba, "Horsin Up" by Orchestra Harlow, "The Oracle" by Sabu Martinez, "Se Formo El Bochinche" by Arsenio Rodriguez, "My Spiritual Indian" by Eddie Palmieri, "Druma Kugi" by Mongo Santamaria, and "Descarga Cachao" by Tito Rodriguez. CD

Female funk galore – and one of the greatest all-girl compilations we've ever heard! The set's a brilliant follow-up to the first Funk Soul Sisters set on BGP – but we've gotta say that we like it even better than the first, and really appreciate the wide range of unusual tunes collected on the set! There's a depth here that goes way past the obvious – a love of bad-rapping funky female soul that digs deeper, and comes up with some key gems that explode cliches and really expand our love of the music. Titles include both rare album and single tracks pulled from a variety of American indies of the late 60s and early 70s – and although many are by familiar artists, they offer up a side of their talents you really wouldn't expect! Titles include "Easily Persuaded" by Martha & The Vandellas, "Family Tree" by Little Rose Little, "Who Told You" by Jackie Moore, "That's How I Feel" by The Sisters Of Righteous, "Ain't No Love Lost" by Patti Jo, "Love Connection" by Annette Snell, "Gotta Get Away" by Harolyn Montgomery, "Just A Mistake" by The Ebonettes, "Do You Really Want To Rescue Me (part 1)" by Elsie Mae, "It's My Thing" by Betty Moorer, "Speed Ticket" by Inez & Charlie Foxx, "Get On Up & Do It Baby" by Marie Adams, and "Jesse Joe" by Jean Knight. LP, Vinyl record album

Messed-up, tripped-up, and fuzzed-up rock and roll tunes from the mid 60s – a brilliant batch of tracks that digs deep into the 60s underground! The sound here is very much in the mode of The Seeds and The Sonics (both of whom make an appearance on the set) – a style that has the guitars turned up plenty darn loud, and the amps overflowing with a mess of distortion that really adds a lot of noisiness to the tunes! Recording quality is often nice and raw, but never sloppy – and most of the work here is from the years 1964 to 1967, but played with a blistering intensity that most harder acts from later years never matched. Titles include "99th Floor" by The Moving Sidewalks, "Action Woman" by The Litter, "He's Waiting" by The Sonics, "I'm In Pittsburgh" by The Outcasts, "Hang Up" by The Wailers, "Foolish Woman" by The Oxford Circle, "Scarey Business" by The Electric Company, "I Can't Make A Friend" by The Vagrants, "Pushin Too Hard" by The Seeds, "Get Out Of My Eye" by The Soul Vendors, "Beaver Patrol" by The Wilde Knights, and "We're Pretty Quick" by The Chob. CD

The continuing lost legacy of Patrick Cowley – the San Francisco 80s club maestro who made some famous records with Sylvester – but who also did a huge amount of underground sounds for porno films at the time! This set digs deep into that legacy – by featuring music that Cowley did for the 1982 film Afternooners, as well as a few other tracks from the time – material that's a great 80s extrapolation of the sorts of slinky funk you'd know from 70s porn! The sounds here are heavy on beats and keyboards – a much more slowed-down take on territory that Cowley explored on his club singles of the period – and the basslines are plenty heavy, and very seductive – as you might imagine, given the images they were used with on the screen. We should tell you that the package does include a few nude images inside – so be warned if you're offended by that sort of thing. Titles include "Love Come Set Me Free", "Big Shot", "Surfside Sex", "Hot Beach", "The Runner", "One Hot Afternoon", "Leather Bound", and "Bore & Stroke". CD

The continuing lost legacy of Patrick Cowley – the San Francisco 80s club maestro who made some famous records with Sylvester – but who also did a huge amount of underground sounds for porno films at the time! This set digs deep into that legacy – by featuring music that Cowley did for the 1982 film Afternooners, as well as a few other tracks from the time – material that's a great 80s extrapolation of the sorts of slinky funk you'd know from 70s porn! The sounds here are heavy on beats and keyboards – a much more slowed-down take on territory that Cowley explored on his club singles of the period – and the basslines are plenty heavy, and very seductive – as you might imagine, given the images they were used with on the screen. We should tell you that the package does include a few nude images inside – so be warned if you're offended by that sort of thing. Titles include "Love Come Set Me Free", "Big Shot", "Surfside Sex", "Hot Beach", "The Runner", "One Hot Afternoon", "Leather Bound", and "Bore & Stroke". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the deepest digs into the legacy of UK wonderproducer Joe Meek – a set that opens up a whole host of unissued tapes from the vaults, to present a hugely expanded set of work from a group who hardly issued any records back in the 60s! The Cryin Shames are not to be confused with the American Cryan Shames – as the Liverpool group had a great sound, but only released two singles – before spinning off into other groups with a short run too – including Friendly Persuasion, and Paul & Ritchie & The Crying Shames – all of whom recorded with Meek, and are presented here, in a massive 51 track package that features loads of unreleased takes, live material, and other rare tunes too! Core elements include the singles "September In The Rain", "Come On Back", "Nobody Waved Goodbye", "Please Stay", "What's News Pussycat", "The End Of The World", and "Come On" – and there's also 18 very early tracks from the group's audition, when they were initially billed as The Bumblies. Along with the notes, the whole thing is a great example of the way the wheels were really turning and the studio doors were opening during these key years of British rock – another new window into the production genius of the great Joe Meek! CD

Includes the albums New Jazz Conceptions, Everybody Digs Bill Evans, The Ivory Hunters, Portrait In Jazz, Explorations, Sunday At The Village Vanguard, Waltz For Debby, Undercurrent, Moon Beams, Interplay, Empathy, and How My Heart Sings. CD

The coolest collection we've ever seen to focus on the soundtrack work of the great Serge Gainsbourg – and the most complete as well! The package really digs deep – and seems to offer up tracks from just about every single film that Gainsbourg was involved with – from his own compositions, to partnerships with greats like Alain Goraguer, Michel Colombier, and the mighty Jean-Claude Vannier – all of whom come up with very groovy, often funky instrumentation that rivals Serge's own releases! In fact, we might well even say that we find the Gainsbourg soundtrack material to be even cooler – as the films often gave Serge a chance to experiment, and try out new ideas he wouldn't do on his own records. This LP package is a great distillation of the larger CD set, with a focus on the grooviest cuts – and includes selections from the films L'Eau A La Bouche, Manon 70, Anna, Si Jetais Un Espion, Le Pacha, Slogan, Une Vueve En Or, and Les Chemins De Katmandou. LP, Vinyl record album

One of our favorite Red Garland albums of the late 50s – thanks to a slightly different rhythm section that features Sam Jones on bass and Art Taylor on drums – both of whom work beautifully with Red in a gutbuckety set of tunes! The style isn't exactly soul jazz, but it's clear that Garland's feeling a bit of pressure from some of the up and comers on the scene – and he digs a bit deeper into bluesy roots here, in a setting that makes especially nice use of Jones' work on bass. Titles include "He's A Real Gone Guy", "See See Rider", "Trouble In Mind", "St. Louis Blues", and "Theme From M Squad". LP, Vinyl record album

A wonderful collection of work from Brenda Holloway – one that really digs deep to find some overlooked gems from her 60s years at Motown – including 8 previously unissued tracks! The core of the collection features The Artistry Of Brenda Holloway album – a late 60s UK-only recorded issued by Tamla, and one that features rare singles from Holloway that weren't on any other albums – kind of a special overseas package dedicated to those early UK soul fans who helped Motown explode so strongly at a global level. Holloway's vocals are wonderful – as careful a mix of class and soul that you'd find from the best Motown artists of the period – served up at a solo lead level that's only matched by Mary Wells on the label at the time, and which really seems to point the way towards a solo direction that Diana Ross would later take on her own. In addition to the 16 track album, the CD also features 8 more gems from the Motown vaults – making for a set that's all-great, no-filler, and filled with properly finished killers that should have made much bigger waves at the time. Titles include "Together Til The End Of Time", "I'll Be Available", "Hurt A Little Every Day", "Where Were You", "I've Got To Find It", "Operator", "I'll Always Love You", "Just Look What You've Done", "Mr Lifeguard", "After All That You've Done", "The Love Line", "Can't We Be Strangers Again", and "Just Another Lonely Night". CD

Dusty Groove owes plenty to the world of college radio – and in fact, our store grew out of long years of experience on a college station on the south side of Chicago – so we're extra-pleased not just to see a really comprehensive book on the glory days of college radio, but also one that really gets the history right! Author Katherine Rye Jewell really digs deep here, and gets past the easy tales of freeform rock and alternative radio – to instead look at the larger forces that helped build, shift, and challenge the informal network of small college radio stations that had a huge impact on American music for a few key decades, starting in the 70s. The author brings together case histories of individual stations, key scenes in music, legislative shifts, regulatory changes, and music business practice – all to really illuminate just why college radio was so important in the 70s, 80s, and 90s – and why its legacy still continues so strongly today. The roots of Dusty Groove are hidden in these pages in a few key spots – and we can say that the author definitely writes from the right perspective, and takes time to focus in on all the important things that really matter. Softcover edition is 457 pages, with a small amount of charts and illustrations. Book

The vintage years are some of the best years for the legendary BB King – served up here in a package that focuses strongly on the music he made during his first 15 years in the studio, with lots of rare tracks for the RPM, Crown, and Kent Records labels – including a few titles that appear here for the first time ever! King at this point was a genre unto himself – able to play a raw electric guitar with the best of his Texas precursors, but also able to fit it into smoother, more sophisticated arrangements – often with that current of jazz that was showing up in the Memphis scene in the 50s, and given that undeniable BB King charm on the vocals! The package features a whopping 86 titles on four CDs, all with a wonderful level of packaging – typical of the usual Ace Records style, which means wonderful notes, great graphics, and a presentation that's way better than the usual clunky longbox set. This is hardly a "hits" collection, and instead digs very deep – and then lays out the material in a wonderful way that shows the huge evolution in King's music before his bigger 60s fame on ABC Records. CD

A beautiful look at the American love of the exotic –a book that's overflowing with full color-images and a wealth of tiki-styled history! This book is way more than just another fluff piece on postwar tiki culture – and instead digs deep into the US fascination with Pacific culture – tracing its roots to exploratory efforts of the 19th Century, then showing the huge explosion in the 20th – as America began to annex Hawaii, and both WWII and the budding airline industry allowed US citizens to travel to the islands, and bring a fair bit of its culture back home! The presentation is in the best Taschen mode – glossy pages, filled with beautiful images and surprisingly strong writing, too – in chapters that cover topics that look at the Hawaiian music craze, tiki cocktail bars, exotic dining in America, exotica style, and celebrities' role in island culture – plus lots lots more. The book is over 600 pages – beautifully presented throughout. Book

A decade's worth of groundbreaking funk and African rhythms – all of it recorded by Hugh Masekela for his legendary Chisa label! Back in the 60s, Hugh cracked the American charts with a playful version of South African jazz – but he was also an even hipper cat than you'd guess from his hits, and worked with a variety of incredible acts to expand his sound – a good number of whom ended up recording for Hugh on the Chisa label, in a unique blend of American soul and African inspiration that was years ahead of its time! The Chisa sound was one of the first true forays into pan-global grooving – and it brought the sounds of Africa to the American mainstream at a level that few had managed before. Some groups were unique projects done for record – like the Johannesburg Street Band, which featured members of The Crusaders alongside Masekela – but others featured a variety of ex-patriots living in the US, with key singers and players who shine brightly under Hugh's guidance. This set really digs deep, and offers up some of the most heavily African-tuned tracks from Chisa's catalog – 14 titles that include "Witch Doctor" and "Ahvuomo" by Baranta with Miatta Fahinbulleh, "Joala" and "Za Labalaba" by The Zulus, "Awe Mfana" by Johannesburg Street Band, "Macongo" and "U Se Mcani" by Letta Mbulu, "Tepo" by Baranta, "Aredze" by The Zulus, "Mahlalela" by Letta Mbulu, and "Afro Beat Blues" by Ojah with Hugh Masekela. LP, Vinyl record album

A great meeting of two generations of jazz – and one that really blows the top off some of Dexter Gordon's other European sessions of the time! The setting here is definitely one that's more a Gordon-based date – long tracks with rhythm backing from a trio with Kenny Drew on piano, Niels Henning Orsted Pedersen on bass, and Alex Riel on drums. But unlike some of the other long-blown Gordon-heavy albums for the stretch, the presence of Jackie McLean really brings in a new sort of fire – the kind of soaring, soulful energy he brought to his own records in these immediate post-Blue Note years – almost a Coltrane influence, and a sense of spiritualism that really comes through on some of his solo moments – even in this relatively straight setting. Titles include "Half Nelson", "I Can't Get Started", "Another Hair-Do", and "Dexter Digs In". LP, Vinyl record album

West coast Latin jazz legend John Santos digs even deeper than usual here – serving up a set of tracks that trace the roots of the Cuban descarga style, but all with some of the warmth and personality that have made his previous records so great! John's core group features the leader on percussion, Melecio Magdaluyo on saxes, John Calloway on flute and piano, Marco Diaz on trumpet and piano, Saul Sierra on bass, and David Flores on drums. But there's plenty of contributions from older Latin legends – like Jerry Gonzalez on trumpet, Orlando Maraca Valle on flute, and Orlando Torriente on vocals – part of an expanded lineup that also changes up the sound a bit too, in way that isn't strictly a recreation of the late 50s/early 60s descarga modes – but instead shows how much those roots have evolved to inform the modes of Latin jazz. Titles include "14 Mission", "Juego De Ajedrez", "Lo Tuyo No Va", "Descargarara", "Tichin", "Descarga Con Changui", and "Los Misterios". CD

The lovely Jane Birkin is maybe most famous for her late 60s duets with Serge Gainsbourg, but the singer's also got a huge legacy of great music as well – both with Serge and on her own! Author Gary Simons digs deep into the long legacy of Jane Birkin's recordings – from those late 60s/70s moments when Serge was writing a lot of her material and handling production – to that surprisingly long run in later life, when after the passing of Gainsbourg, she turned into a creative force on her own – far more so than anyone might have guessed from her early teen years as an actress. Simons presents Birkin's discography in a very cool way – with full color pages that focus on each album, with images of the album covers and other details – plus other notes on the contents. The book begins with an essay on Jane, then runs through all the records – even up to the recent complete CD box set. The book is relatively slim, but hardcover and well done – full color images throughout! Book

One of the most unique books to ever look at the music of Sun Ra – and one that's very near and dear to our hearts, given that the role of Chicago is seen as vital to the development of the music! The book digs very deep into Ra's early years – time that isn't covered in as much details as in other projects – and the book paints a picture of the city that's as vivid as the jazz legend himself – showing how postwar Chicago did a lot to shape the early sounds and ideas of Ra – which were then shaped the man himself. William Sites comes at the project from a different perspective than most music writers – which makes for a very fresh volume that may well open up whole new territory in the exploration of jazz and community. 313 pages, softcover, with black and white images. Book

Finally! Andre Williams has been getting loads of press over the past few years as the true "Funky Godfather" that he is – but up until now, nobody's ever done a good compilation of his work! This long-overdue set from Tuff City digs through the vaults of Avin, Sport, & Wingate – smaller labels that Williams recorded with around the same period that he was working with Chess – and the result is a funky funky batch of great little tracks, the sort that we always sell for a bundle on our funky 45 pages! Williams hard funky talent rings loud and true here (a hell of a lot more than on those recent recordings) – and the album's filled with great gems like "Black Bull", "Loose Juice", "Soul Groove", "Bassology", "Hard Hustling", "Jivin Around", "Rip Tips (parts 1 & 2)", "Pearl Time", "Chickent Thights", and the great "Sweet Little Pussy Cat". 16 cuts in all – and nice and funky! LP, Vinyl record album

Remember the days when hip hop was so underground, it was hard to get pressed on vinyl? And most of the audience wasn't going to play the music on CD – leaving tapes to be the main format to circulate the music back in the underground! This cool volume really digs deep into that musical moment – a cassette-sized book that offers up a guide to hundreds of rare gangsta rap cassettes – each presented with their full front artwork on the smaller pages – with English listings of the dates, title, artist, label, and location – and a bit of added text in Japanese (which you should be able to read using Google translate.) The book features listings for over 300 cassette-only releases – then also has a smaller section on the selectors' favorites at the end, plus an index of artists – all presented in a really great, all-color softcover volume! Book

A rare and wonderful collection that digs deep to showcase the amazing and diverse talents of the AACM! Tracks include "Triumph" by Colson Unity Troupe, "Flute Solo" by All Flute, "Decisions" by Sound Spectrum, "Brother Buford" by Ari Brown, "The Hunt" by 8 Bold Souls, "Ewartology" by Douglas Ewart, "Indigenous Shuffle" by The Vizitors, "Say Rah" by Ann Ward, "Blue Corn Bop" by the David Boykin Outet and "Love Supreme" by Congo Square – 18 tracks in all. CD

A much-needed collection of work – a set that focuses on the sometimes-overlooked work of Clarence Reid as a songwriter on the southern soul scene of the 70s – presented here with a range of contributions that really go past the material Clarence recorded on his own! Reid was definitely one of the shining early lights of the TK Records empire, but throughout the course of his time at the label, he was also a key force in the background too – contributing songs and studio help to some of the label's artists, both big and small – presented here in a lineup that really digs deep into the TK catalog. The CD features 25 tracks in all, with plenty of unusual titles – and songs include "Come On Playboy" by Audrey Royal, "Please Accept My Call" by JP Robinson, "I Can't Speak" by Jimmy Bo Horne, "I'll Be Good To You" by Latimore, "Must I Kill Her" by David Hudson, "Beggin" by James T, "You Know Me Out" by Wildflower, "It's Got To Be Tonight" by Willie Johnson, "Screwdriver" by Johnny K & The Homeboys, and "Love President" by Funky Party Band. CD

Serving time has never been this groovy – thanks to a whole host of prison-themed tunes from the postwar years, presented here in a package that's especially strong on blues and R&B! Sure, most folks know "Folsom Prison Blues", but this package digs much deeper to come up with two dozen near-lost tracks that also echo the legacy of incarceration that frequently interacted with the music business during years when even the most minor infraction might get a singer or instrumentalist locked up. We're not saying that all these artists have experience behind bars, but the set does resonate strongly as a showcase of the too-common theme of jail and prison in American music. Titles include "Jailbird" by Smiley Lewis, "But Officer" by Sonny Knight, "Hey Mr Warden" by Danny Cobb, "Prisoner's Song" by Fats Domino, "Please Mr Jailer" by Wynona Carr, "Ball & Chain Blues" by Josh White, "Jail Bird" by El Pauling & Royal Abbit, "Prisoner's Plea" by Billy Boy Arnold, "Jailhouse Blues" by Ottille Patterson, "When I Leave These Prison Walls" by The Larks, and "I'm A Prisoner" by Eddie Boyd. CD

A European disco world that's ripe for rediscovery – one that's much more obscure than better-known club work from Germany, France, and Italy – but which may well be even groovier than the work from those three scenes! The package is a great complement to some of the funk and jazz sets on the Sdban label – and like those, it really digs deep – to uncover a vast array of music from the small nation – which was clearly a hotbed of groovy activity in the 70s, at a level that none of us realized at the time! The tunes here mix together funk and pop, soul and disco – all in ways that criss-cross strongly with more familiar modes of the period – but often have an offbeat quality, and sometimes a surprising sense of humor that comes through in the mostly English lyrics in the lead. Part 1 of the vinyl series features 16 tracks – and titles include "Ethereo Disco" by R Roland, "King Kong" by Carl Watson, "Baby Won't You Turn Me On" by Charles Watson, "Sexy" by Lovedream, "La Gomme" by L2, "Cool & Get Up" by Quartz, "I'm Free" by Steve, "Groovin To The Music" by Flame, "Queen To The Pharoah" by Marianne, "Feel So Glad" by Dan Davis, "Ivro De Vie" by Kevin Moraine, "Be My Love Tonight" by CC Band, "Strange How You Move" by Venus, and "Bubblegum" by Bubble. LP, Vinyl record album

An incredible peek into a near-lost chapter of Chicago soul – the tiny Bandit label, home to The Majestic Arrows, one of the greatest indie harmony groups of the midwest in the 70s – plus a few other excellent soul artists! As with the other Eccentric Soul volume from Numero, this one offers far more than just an assortment of rare singles – and instead really digs deep to tell the true story of this tiny indie soul label. The music alone is totally great – as the set features a wealth of harmony soul tracks by The Majestic Arrows, plus other funk and soul tracks by Johnny Davis, Altyrone Deno Brown, and Linda Balintine – but the package is equally noteworthy – filled with the storied details of the unusual and exotic practices and lifestyles of the Bandit Records posse. The set features 17 full tracks – including "One More Time Around", "Another Day", "Doing It For Us", "Love Is All I Need", "Going To Make A Time Machine", "We Love Together", "The Magic Of Your Love", and "I'll Never Cry For Another Boy" by The Majestic Arrows; "We Have Love" and "Bring Back The One I Love" by The Arrows; "If You Love Me" and "Sweet Pea" by Altyrone Deno Brown; "You're A Habit Hard To Break" and "Glad About That" by Linda Balintine; and "You've Got To Crawl To Me" and "Boogedy Boogedy" by Johnny Davis. Plus, the set also features 3 rehearsal takes of tunes by the Majestic Arrows! CD

A hip batch of Halloween nuggets – rare singles, mostly from the 60s – and mostly recorded during that wonderful moment when monster movies and rock and roll had a really happy collision! That era yielded plenty of hits, but this set digs way way deeper than those – and it also mixes in trailers from a few key films of the time, all to emphasize the horror setting for the tunes! Titles include "I Was A Teenage Monster" by The Keytones, "The Invasion Is Coming" by The Invasion, "Vampira" by Bobby Bare, "The Devil Drivers" by The Vettes, "Graveyard" by The Phantom Five, "Mummy Walk" by The Contrails, "Ghost A Go Go" by Richard Rome, "Black Magic" by Jericho Jones, "Graveyard Stomp" by Billy Ghoulston, "Jack The Ripper" by The Elites, "House On Haunted Hill" by Kenny & The Fiends, "Jekyll & Hyde" by Jim Burgett, "Strolling After Dark" by The Shades, and "It" by Johnny Fraser & The Regalaires. CD

Weird, wild, wonderful work from the 7" single underground of the postwar years – music from a time when monster themes pervaded all sorts of musical styles – rock, soul, jazz, and even blues too – which resulted in a great run of very groovy records! This package digs deep into the sounds of those glory days – serving up some cuts that are pretty horroriffic, mixed with others that might have a slight novelty sort of approach – qualities that are sometimes emphasized by odd production techniques and other studio tricks! The package features 28 tracks in all, including a number of horror rockers we've not seen compiled elsewhere – titles that include "Horror Show" by Johnny Thunder, "The Hammer" by Faye Adams, "Terror" by The Bees, "Vampire" by Bobby Barrett, "Jack The Ripper" by The Tip Tops, "Shiverin & Shakin" by Edwin & Alvin, "Jack The Ripper" by The Elites, "Horror Pictures" by The Calvanes, "Graveyard Blues" by John Lee Hooker, "The Mummy" by Bob McFadden & Dor, "Igor's Lament" by Tony & The Monstrosities, "Cemetery Blues" by Lightnin Hopkins, "The Hex" by The Moroccos, "Witchcraft In The Air" by Betty Lavette, and "Graveyard Disposition" by Gatemouth Moore. CD

A heady dip into the musical frontiers of the postwar years – a set that digs deep into avant classical, jazz, and other styles – all to come up with sounds that later provided inspiration for The Beatles, David Bowie, Pink Floyd, and other landmark groups at the end of the 60s! Yet the styles here aren't rock at all – and instead showcase all these changes that had taken place long before the years of psych and prog, but in different forms of music – and even a bit of spoken word, as well – as some of these selections show just how much the recorded art form could work for unusual styles of vocal presentation. The four CDs feature a wonderful range of styles that all work together somehow – with work by Pierre Schaeffer, John Cage, Ornette Coleman, Sun Ra, Cathy Berberian, John Coltrane, Gustav Holst, Arnold Schoenberg, Jack Kerouac, Ali Akbar Khan, The Goons, Dave Brubeck, Percy Grainger, Hilaire Belloc, Sabicas, Delia Derbyshire, and many others! CD

A set that really digs deep into the British scene of the early 70s – a package pitched around the idea of opening acts for supergroups at a rock festival, and one that serves up a whole host of groups who never fully got their due on our side of the Atlantic at the time! These aren't underground or experimental groups – and most recorded for major labels – but they also weren't chart-topping acts, or those that have gone into the classic rock pantheon – which makes for a really great discovery to most ears not fully acquainted with this moment in UK rock! The set was put together by Bob Stanley and Pete Wiggs – who've given us other seminal sets of UK music from the 70s, and groovy 60s compilations too – and they really do a great job here of setting the scene, and picking the best cuts from groups who are top-shelf in their effort and execution. As always with the pair, the notes with the set are as illuminating as the music – and titles include "Taken All The Good Things" by Stray, "Out Demons Out" by Edgar Broughton Band, "One Way Glass" by Manfred Mann Chapter Three, "Hold On To Your Mind" by Andwella, "Big Boobs Boogie" by Slowload, "Third World" by Paladin, "For Mad Men Only" by May Blitz, "Met Pies Ave Come" by Stack Waddy, "Ricochet" by Jonesy, and the surprising inclusion of some rocking KPM sound library tracks – including "Hot Pants" by Alan Parker & Alan Hawkshaw, "Led Balloon" by Steve Gray, and "Confunction" by Dave Richmond. LP, Vinyl record album

A great collection of rare gospel tracks from the postwar years – done with the same thoughtful choice of cuts that Mississippi has been bringing to its compilations of soul and blues, but with a leaner approach overall! The collection digs deeper than the big names of the time, and has a strong focus on the kinds of group harmonies that were also having a big impact on soul music – heard especially well in some of the smaller groupings here. Titles include "Love Hides All Faults" by The Holy Light Jrs, "Beams Of Heaven" by Church Of To-Morrow, "Lord You Are My Burden Brother" by The Hubbard Heavyweight Gospel Singers, "When The Gates Swing Open" by Joyful Souls Of Dallas, "Trouble Of The World" by Soul Revivals, and "I Thank the Lord" by Dynamic True Tones. LP, Vinyl record album

A killer follow-up to the earlier Nigeria 70 compilation on Strut Records – a second set that digs even deeper than before, and one that shows a huge range of Nigerian grooves from the 70s! The styles here go way beyond familiar Afro Funk – and the rhythms here are often quite complicated – rootsy at times, modern at others – and served up in a blend of acoustic and electric instrumentation that dances together wonderfully! Most numbers have vocals, but those are often delivered as rhythmically as the instrumentation – and the package is filled with under-reissued gems that make the package an essential addition to any collection of global grooves. As with other sets on the newly-revived Strut label, there's full notes on the music and track-by-track details – all supporting a set list of 16 titles that includes "Everybody Likes Something Good" by Ify Jerry Krusade, "Yabis" by Sir Shina Peters & His International Stars, "Onyame" by Ashanti Afrika Jah, "Ezuku Buzo" by Bola Johnson & His Eazy Life Top Beats, "African Dialects" by Peter King, "You Are My Heart" by Rex Williams, "Hot Tears" by The Immortals, "Dododo (Ekassa No 1)" by Sir Victor Uwaifo & His Melody Maestros, "Happy Survival" by Ifeanyi Eddie Okwedy & His Maymores Dance Band, "Tug Of War" by The Faces, "Ire Africa" by Chief Checker, and "Eddie Quansa" by Peacocks Guitar Band. CD

There's few people we'd trust more with our ears than Gilles Peterson – and once again, the man shows that our trust in him wasn't misplaced! This time round, Gilles takes us on a heady trip through the hippest side of the Impulse Records label – the imprint that's quite well known for its groundbreaking jazz of the 60s and 70s, but which is presented here with a special flair that's really amazing! As usual, Peterson goes way past the obvious hits and classics, and digs even deeper into the many great albums issued by Impulse – all to find special tunes and wonderful tracks that might have slipped past us otherwise – put together with even greater care to assure a even-keeled mood throughout the entire set. Gilles has a way of re-igniting the fire that first made these records great – by setting the tunes up in an order, and with a pacing, that allows each number to resonate even more strongly alongside its partners in the tracklist. Only 10 tracks in all – but all of them are great – and titles include "First Gymnopedie" by Yusef Lateef, "The Blessing Song" by Michael White, "Enchanted Lady" by Milt Jackson & Ray Brown, "Alamode" by Art Blakey, "Lonesome Lover" by Max Roach, "See You Later" by Dave MacKay & Vicki Hamilton, "Patterns" by Oliver Nelson, "Wise One" by John Coltrane, and "Three Flowers" by McCoy Tyner. CD

Forget the "rare" in the title – and just go for the "soul" – because hard to find or not, these cuts are all pretty darn great! The package is the sort that's designed to appeal to the pocketbook-busting soul collector crowd – but don't let that intimidate you if you're the type that just digs the music overall – because the set's overflowing with great tunes, and at a price that anyone can afford! And sure, lots of this stuff is nearly impossible to find in the original – but the real appeal here is the music, and the music is great! Tracks are mostly in an uptempo Northern Soul mode – and titles include "The Winds Kept Laughing" by Better Turner & The Chevelles, "You Need Love" by The Blendels, "She's Fire" by CODs, "Hey You Little Girl" by The Tropics, "So Glad That I Found You" by The Classics, "Feminine Ingenuity" by Ruby, "A Thousands Miles Apart" by Tony Sams & The Lala Wilson Band, "Just Fun" by Soul Partners, "Are You Gonna Leave Me" by Jessie James, "Sad Town" by Jimmy Elledge, "Just Your Fool" by Eddie Whitehead, and "I'm Coming In" by Romey Rand. CD